


the betting pool

by kimannhart



Series: mess is mine [2]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Attempt at Humor, Humor, M/M, Not Beta Read, Team as Family, We die like real men, alternative universe - no powers, everyone is a little shit, everyone loves making bets, except rhodey, tony and bucky are oblivious to the bet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-07 22:59:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17969675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimannhart/pseuds/kimannhart
Summary: The gang loves making bets. This time around they decide to bet on Bucky and Tony's love life.





	the betting pool

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cinnamon_Anemone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinnamon_Anemone/gifts).



> For [Cinna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinnamon_Anemone): Thank you for letting me yell and ramble at you about this verse! And also for giving me my favorite Rhodey line in this fic. You're the best 💛
> 
> I never write humor and this is my sad attempt at doing so. Y'all got lucky because I really wanted to make one part angsty but didn't so you're welcome lmao.
> 
> Also, this is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. I hope you enjoy.

“So, when do you think those two idiots are gonna confess?” Clint asked as he pointed over to Bucky and Tony, who were standing near the side entries section of the buffet they were all at. 

A look of disgust appears onto Sam’s face, “Dude, chew and swallow before talking.” He shakes his head as he popped a calamari into his mouth. 

Clint narrowed his eyes at Sam, shoved some fries into his mouth before letting out a muffled, “No.”

Steve shook his head at Clint and Sam’s antics before glancing over to Buck and Tony. He saw the pair laughing as they filled their plates with some mashed potatoes before they separated to different sections of the buffet. Steve tilted his head in confusion when he saw Bucky look back towards Tony with a look of longing on his face.  _ Bucky has feelings for Tony? No… Wait could he? I mean, it’s possible. But wouldn’t Bucky tell me? He totally would. Right? I mean he has to, we’re best friends—we tell each other everything. Unless he hasn’t figured out he has feelings for Tony.  _ Steve looked back to Bucky, who was now serving himself some garlic shrimp alfredo but still sneaking some glances back to Tony.  _ Oh, that little shit does have feelings for him! _ Steve then focused his attention towards Tony—who seemed to be unaware of everything around him besides the salmon tray in front of him.  _ Does Tony have feelings for Bucky? God, I need to pay more attention to these things.  _ A laugh from next to him brought Steve out of his thoughts.

“You okay there Steve?” asked Rhodey, “It looks like you’re thinking a bit too hard there.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah! I was just trying to figure out whether or not Bucky and Tony have feelings for each other,” Steve replied as his eyebrows furrowed. The chatter that filled the table had died. “What?” he asked in confusion.

“Have you seriously not noticed it Steve?” Natasha asked.

“Uh, no?” 

“Steve, love, they’ve been pining for each other for  _ years _ now,” Sharon commented.

“Wait, seriously?” 

Steve was met with various head nodding. “I really need to start paying more attention to these things,” Steve muttered.

Clint snickered, “Oh wow. You know I wish we had a betting pool on when Steve noticed our resident lovesick idiots pining. Ooooh! We should  _ totally  _ have a betting pool on when Bucky and Tony confess their feelings for each other!”

Everyone looked towards each other and a chorus of agreements chimed in. 

Well, everyone except Rhodey. 

“No thank you. I learned my lesson the last time I took part in these dumb pools set up by Clint. I want no part in this. ”

“Want no part in what honey bear?” 

“Oh, nothing.”

“Uh, okay?” Tony replied confusedly as he sat down next to Sharon. 

“Don’t worry about it Tones, it’s nothing important,” Sharon reassured. She met her eyes with Clint and mouthed  _ group chat _ . Clint nodded as he pulled out his phone, made a new group chat, and sent a message saying to meet tonight at six o’clock at the tables near the new engineering building, before redirecting his attention back to his plate. 

* * *

“Okay, everyone is here! Let’s make this quick before our cover is blown!”

Maria looked at Clint, amusement clear on her face. “Clint you do realize we have nothing to worry about right? Bucky and Tony went out for their nerdy trivia night at student commons. That gives us about two hours tops before they come searching for us.”

“Oh… Well, let’s get this betting pool sorted! How much should we put down each?” 

“Twenty dollars?” Helen suggested. 

“Hmm, yeah twenty sounds good,” Pepper replied.

“Twenty dollars? What, that’s so little!” Harley complained. “Let’s do fifty dollars! Go big or go home!” 

“Fifty dollars?! Since when do you have money?” Peter asked. 

“Oh I don’t, but I’m willing to pull fifty dollars out of my savings for this.”

“You’re crazy. Clint put me down for twenty please.”

Clint finger gunned at Peter, “You got it dude.”

Almost two hours had passed before everything was figured out. Harley, Shuri, and T’Challa were the only brave souls willing to put down fifty dollars as their bets, while everyone else put down twenty. The dates that everyone picked had varied, with Steve being the shortest—he picked Valentine’s Day, which was about two weeks after the betting pool was sorted—and Natasha, Clint, and Sharon being the longest—who all picked December 20th of that year, but with different times throughout the day. And from that night on, the bet was on. 

* * *

Not surprisingly, Steve was the first one out of the pool.

“I really thought they would confess on that day,” Steve whined. 

“Take it from me, Steven, your life will get much easier when you just accept the fact that your best friend is a fucking moron,” Rhodey patted his shoulder.

“Why didn’t you talk me out of this pool Rhodes?” 

“Honestly, Steve, I just wanted to see you lose twenty dollars.”

“Wait, what?! Why?!”

“Payback for ruining my project with your paint that I worked two months on back in freshman year of college.”

“It was an  _ accident _ !”

“Uh huh, sure.”

* * *

Bruce, Peter, and Miles were the next three out when Bucky’s birthday passed and Bucky and Tony still haven’t confessed their feelings.

“I can’t believe I had put so much faith in them,” Bruce groaned.

Clint snorted, “I thought you guys were supposed to be smart.” He yelped when a pen hit his forehead. “Ow! Not nice Bruce!”

* * *

As more months slowly passed by more and more of the group were out of the pool. By late August the only ones left were: Natasha, Clint, Sharon, Thor, Harley, and Shuri. Though, the bet was quickly forgotten the moment Bucky was involved in his motocross accident. The first month after the accident, everyone tried their best to be there for Bucky. But, they all slowly realized that Bucky was pulling away more and more from them when they tried to crowd him. So, they left him be and hoped that one day Bucky would be comfortable around them all again.

By the time winter break rolled around, the only three left in the betting pool was: Natasha, Clint, and Sharon. Back in January, everyone had assumed that the three would battle it out, especially since the hours they picked were so close to one another—Sharon picked 7pm, followed by Natasha who had chosen 7:30pm, and Clint with his 8:30pm pick . But, with Bucky’s accident it seemed as if everyone had forgotten all about the bet.

Well, almost everyone. 

Sharon broke away from Rhodey, Natasha, Sam, and Steve’s competitive ginger house building and sat herself down next to Tony. While, she did want to win the bet—winning all that money would definitely be a nice little “treat yourself” date for her and Steve; though it was quickly approaching 7pm and Sharon was beginning to think she would be out of the pool soon—it broke her heart to see Bucky pull away from everyone and turn into a man she didn’t recognize. After a nice talk with Tony, she headed back to help clean up a frosted covered Steve and silently hoped Tony would finally confess. 

* * *

When Bucky returned to the group, Sharon’s heart deflated at the missing Tony. She had really thought the two would have some heart-to-heart and finally confess something, but it looks like they hadn’t. She checked the time on her phone and saw it was now 8:25pm, just five more minutes and Clint would be out and no one would get the pot of cash—which was a hefty amount, $530 to be exact. Sharon hoped the latter would happen, she didn’t want to see the smug look on Clint’s face. Sharon was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt Steve’s lips press a kiss on her forehead. She smiled softly at him, as she adjusted her body to be closer to him. Sharon wondered why everyone had sudden gotten quiet until she realized that Bucky was in the center of the room with a nervous look on his face.

After the much needed discussion between Bucky and everyone else, things seemed to slowly go back to the way they all used to be when they would hang out. It made Sharon’s heart warm knowing that Bucky was willingly interacting with everyone again. 

About another five minutes had passed and Tony finally decided to show up. One of her eyebrows raised in interest when she saw Bucky and Tony cuddling. It became aware to Sharon what had happened when Tony went off in search for Bucky.  _ It’s about time _ . A grin slowly appeared onto her face as her eyes met with Tony’s. Though, she broke the eye contact when she saw Sam and Clint look towards each other. Quickly, she tossed the presents she had gotten the two birdbrains at them. 

“Okay, present time!” Sharon yelled. 

* * *

The following morning, the only three who seemed to be awake and started to make breakfast was Sharon, Clint, and Natasha. The three easily moved around the kitchen, not needing to verbally communicate with each other as they made various assortments of food in the kitchen. Though, the silence was soon broken by Clint.

“So, who do you think won the pot?”

“Well I know it probably wasn’t me,” Sharon replied as she flipped a chocolate chip pancake over. 

“Then it was probably me,” Natasha told them confidently. 

“Oh, I wouldn’t be too sure of that.”

“And how do you know you won, Clint?”

“I don’t, I’m just saying don’t count me out yet Nat.”

Sharon shook her head in amusement as she continued to listen Natasha and Clint bicker about who won. “Why don’t you just ask them?” 

The two paused and looked at each other, communicating with their eyes on who should ask. Natasha smirked just as Clint sighed, “Fine, I’ll do it.”

* * *

The sounds of various voices and utensils clinking against dishes was what filled the air during their group breakfast.

Clint looked across from him and saw Bucky and Tony sitting suspiciously closer to one another. Deciding to be a little shit, he tore a piece off of his pancake and threw it at Tony’s face, hitting him directly on his left eye.

A frown appeared on Bucky’s face for a second before breaking out into a chuckle. Bucky picked the pancake off Tony’s lap and popped it into his mouth. Tony, on the other hand, looked around as to who threw the pancake. Tony’s eyes met Clint’s as Clint waved.

“Yes, Clint?” Tony asked, with mock annoyance. 

“I had a question that I was hoping you could answer… Did you and Bucky finally stop being idiots last night and confess your feelings for each other?”

Clint’s question caused everyone to pause their own conversations. They all looked at Tony expectantly, curious on his answer.

Tony’s eyes widen, “Uhh…”

Luckily Bucky swooped in, “Well, technically, we didn’t really say it verbally? We just… I dunno, knew?”

“Do you guys do that creepy thing that Natasha and Clint do with their eyes?” Peter cut in and asked.

“Hey, what we do is so not creepy!” Clint protested.

“It’s creepy to me.”

“Pete, it’s not creepy. It just goes to show how connected they are,” Harley explained. 

“Still creepy.”

“Okay… Anyway, to answer to your question Clint, no Bucky and I didn’t really  _ say _ it but we did  _ show _ it.”

“Like in a weird soulmates connected type of way of showing it, or like in the gross way as in kissing?” Miles asked. 

“ _ No _ , we did  _ not _ kiss. Even if we did, that’s none of your business. So I guess, the former?”

Bucky asked as he looked at Tony.

Tony softly smiled as he thought about him and Bucky being soulmates. “Yeah, the former.”

Sharon snorted as she saw the look in Tony’s eyes. “And you called me a Hallmark movie, okay,” she mumbled.

“Out of pure curiosity, what time would you say that you two “showed” your feelings?” Clint asked. 

Looks of confusion emerged on Bucky and Tony’s faces. 

“Uh, I dunno… Doll, do you have a guess?”

Tony pursed his lips as he begun to think. “I don’t know why you’re so curious about the time, but my best guess would be around 8:15-ish?”

“HA!” Clint yelled. 

Tony jumped at the sudden yell, slightly confused as to why Clint would be so happy. And then, it hit him.  _ Oh, these fucks bet on our love life _ . “So,” Tony started nonchalantly, “How much did Clint win?” 


End file.
